Sketcli of the Physical Nature of Cyprus. 



Also Chrysovrysi close by the highroad NE of the Troodos-camp, the fountains at Pharmakas, Platraes, 

 Kykko and Stavros tis Psochas are worth mentioning. Among the quite few springs of the lowland the 

 most important ones are found at Acheropithi on the north-coast and at Hieroskipos near Paphos- Fontana 

 amorosa, an insignificant well springing forth on the very sea-shore near the ruins of the Hag. Epiphanios- 

 church in the Akamas. is famous from ancient mythology. (Cfr. p. 214). 



There are intense mineral springs, containing sulphide of hydrogen and potassa, in the Marathassa- 

 valley at the village of Kalopanagioti. They are said to possess high medicinal qualities and are also used by 

 the women of the village for washing. At Karainaria, Join, Hag. Chrysostoraos, aud elsewhere, there are less 

 important mineral waters. 



There are no real rivers, constantly flowing, in Cyprus. Travellers, visiting the island in the 

 summer-months, very often have to cross dry beds of rivers and rivulets. In the mountain-valleys as well 

 as in the plains these stony, flat-bottomed, often very broad, river-beds belong to the scenery of a true 

 Cyprian landscape. Only here and there in the depressions of the bottom are left pools of stagnant water full 

 of green algae. But in the rainy winter, and during the dissolution of the snow on the mountains the rivers 

 are growing very full, and sometimes even overflow their banks, causing considerable damage. Even a single 

 heavy torrent of rain in the mountains may suffice to provoke a flood, lasting for a few hours. W. H. 

 Mallock has vividly depicted such a transitory swelling of the Pedias,') and I myself saw on the 3rd 

 of May 1905, during my stay at Kalavaso, a similar flood in the Vasiliko-river. The longest river of 

 the island is the Pedias; springing near the monastery of Makhaeras it runs at first NE to Nikosia, and 

 then in many windings eastwards to the bay of Famagusta. Together with its twin-river, Jalias, it supplies 

 the Messaria with water. In the opposite direction, towards the bay of Morphu, the Satrachos runs, receiving 

 on its way several affluents. Even the Pedias according to Sir R. Biddulph only exceptionally runs 

 so much as 6 weeks a year.-) Somewhat more constant are some of the rivers, which have their origin 

 in the central part of the Troodos-mountains, e. g. the Kuris, falling into the sea at Episkopi: but they 

 too are dry in their lower course the greatest part of the year. 



If the island is poor as far as rivers are concerned it is poorer still in lakes. In the mountain- 

 districts the want of lakes is complete, and even in the plains there are only very few and unimportant 

 collections of standing water. Besides the salt-lakes of Larnaka and Limassol, mentioned above (pag. 1), 

 the so-called "lakes" at Paralimni and at Vatili in the eastern part of Messaria are worthy of notice. The 

 water-basin at Paralimni, according to the kind communication of Ali Effendi, Clerk of the Cyprus Land 

 Registering Office, measures 2 500 donums (ca. 3 donums = 1 acre). The form of the basin is broadly oval, 

 with its greatest breadth from NE — SW; the bottom is loamy and quite flat. In order to reclaim arable 

 land, the water a couple of years before my visit was drained off by means of an artificial channel, leading 

 from the north-eastern end of the basin into the sea south of Varosha. Even before that draining the depth 

 of the water seldom amounted to 1.2 m., and now hardly surpasses 0.2 m. ; in the summer all the bottom is 

 laid bare. Also the "lake" at Vatili hardly deserves that name; in Unger's map it has been made much too 

 large. After heavy rain considerable stretches may be inundated, it is true, but the depth is surely never 

 more than 1.5 m., and already after a few days of dry weather there are left only some insignificant puddles 

 of shallow water. 



To the agriculture of Cyprus the unfortunate lack of water is a fatal difficulty. It cannot but 

 arouse the admiration of foreigners, seeing how great care the inhabitants of the island have taken in 

 procuring the necessary water foi' irrigation by art. At most villages are to be found extensive systems of 

 artificial ditches and drains, through which the water is conducted from the rivers and fountains to the cul- 

 tivated fields and gardens. According to fixed rules the precious liquid is justly shared between the peasants 

 of the mountain-valleys and those of the plains. Whore no other water is attainable, the people get on 



') W. H. Mallock, In an euchauteil Ishanil, pag. .377 (Lonilon 188ti). See OnERiiuMMER, lusel Cypern 1, pag. 218. 

 -) K. Biddulph, Cyprus, pag. 708. 



i 



